A Colorado Senate committee will hold a
hearing Wednesday on a bill that would recognize gay and lesbian
couples with civil unions.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has
scheduled a 1:30PM hearing.
The measure would give gay couples all
the protections of marriage. Lawmakers are barred from pursuing
marriage for gay couples due to a constitutional amendment which
defines marriage as a heterosexual union. Voters approved the
amendment in 2006.
In January, Democratic Senator Pat
Steadman reintroduced the civil unions bill (Senate Bill 2) that died
last year in a Republican-controlled House committee after the Senate
approved the measure. Supporters in the House are looking for a
Republican co-sponsor before introducing the bill there.
The Colorado Catholic Conference has
called on Catholics to oppose the proposed legislation.
The Denver Post reported on
Tuesday that Senator Shawn Mitchell is considering supporting the
measure.
“I am open to a bill that solves the
problems of couples who can't marry,” Mitchell told the paper.
However, the bill's major hurdle
remains the House of Representatives, where last year the House
Judiciary Committee killed a similar measure on a party-line vote.
Governor John Hickenlooper has urged
lawmakers to approve the measure.